Mall of America reopens following shooting and lockdown

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — The Mall of America reopened Friday as police search for two people involved in a shooting inside the suburban Minneapolis shopping complex that sent some shoppers running for cover.

Bloomington police say no one was struck by the gunfire Thursday afternoon. Officials temporarily locked down the mall, forcing some shoppers to shelter in place while others fled.

Police Chief Booker T. Hodges said two groups got into an altercation inside a Nike store, one group left, but two individuals in that group returned and one of them fired three rounds into the store where customers were shopping.

Video posted to social media showed what appeared to be a man shouting as he walked near the Nike store then opening fire.

Other video posted online showed shoppers fleeing from the amusement park inside the mall’s ground level, holding their children’s hands and clutching their bags. A pair of police officers, including one with a rifle, could be seen moving through the mall, and people walking quickly away from its large atrium.

Mall spokesman Dan Jasper said additional security and law enforcement will be present at the mall.

Mall of America, which opened in 1992, is the largest in the U.S. and is a tourist destination and community gathering spot. It bans guns on the premises, but does not have metal detectors upon entry.

It was also the scene of a shooting on New Year’s Eve, when two people were wounded during an apparent altercation.